Decisions, decisions...

It's been a while since we attended a Sunday service...in fact, if we didn't go today it woulda been exactly 2 months since Keila's baptism service. There have been plenty of Sundays that I've gone as far as waking up and getting dressed for a service...but I never actually made it. Instead, I've spent hours listening to sermon podcasts, which we LOVED to do together!

We have so many options to consider when it comes to a "home church", and you know how I love options! (Can you sense my sarcasm??? LoL)

1. First on the list is Refuge Community Church in Lafayette. It's anywhere between 80 and 95 miles away, depending on which route I take...  This was OUR home chuirch. Our family was blessed to become a part of this church back in October 2009 when it was just a Crazy Love bible study. The church family became an extention to ours in a very short period of time, and has helped the girls and I in such a major way since 11/4! Pastor Ron and Kim were the first people we called after finding out about your passing, and they came to be by our side soon after. The church as a whole blessed us with soooo very much! They even provided us with some furniture, brand new bedding for each of us, the moving truck, packing/cleaning/loading the truck, many contributed to the memorial fund, and lots of prayers!

BUT...there are two main things keeping us from going back! #1-Just the mere thought of being in that building without you saddens me to tears! We all served on the launch team AS A FAMILY, and being there without you just wouldn't feel right. #2-Pastor Ron, Kim and the Planting Team have so much on their plates as they prayerfully and obediently seek to grow the church. Yet, right now the girls and I need to be ministered-TO in a major way! Now, you of all people know how difficult it is for me to admit that! We are a family that loves to serve and enjoyed seeking-out opportunities to serve...But right now, your girls need to lean on our brothers and sisters in Christ to help us thru our grief in a healthy, biblical way. The responsibilities of a church plant are so great, and it wouldn't be fair for us to even attempt to dive back in when most of our time and energy is spent grieving.


2. There's Cornerstone Church not too far away where everyone knows all about our situation, and has been a HUGE blessing to us especially during our first month here in Sacramento. They've provided help unloading the truck the day we moved, meals for a couple weeks, financial support, and a TON of prayers! Not to mention the fact that the pastor and his wife are our very own bro-in-law and sista, AND it's where you and I were baptized in 2009!

But knowing only Ate Sette and Pastor/Brother Nick on a personal lever, while the rest of the church knows everything about us and what we're going thru makes it hard for us to feel comfortable. That sounds odd, I know. Especially considering all the love and help they've blessed us with! But I just can't find the words to better express how we feel. Maybe it's because it's a fairly new church that we can't get "lost" in. Unlike the Cheer's theme song, we wanna go where nobody knows our names/situation. At least not before we tell them. We need to get so lost in a church body that we can't see any way out!


3. Then there's Valley Bible Church in Hercules, just under 70 miles away...and another church we served in as a family. This is the first church we served in since we moved back to the Bay Area in 2008, and the entire worship ministry has treated us like family since the moment we first stepped foot in their doors. This is also where we met Pastor Ron and Kim before planting Refuge Community Church! There ain't nothin but THE TRUTH taught there and I believe there's every ministry you can think of offered! Grief Share, AWANAs, childrens choir, LGP (middle school), Flashpoint (high school), numerous Bible studies throughout the year, and the list goes on...

The mighty prayer warriors of Valley have been blessing us every single day in so many ways! The choir sang at your first viewing, Shirley sang Amazing Grace at your funeral service, the programs, the reception hall (offered to us at the VERY last minute when original plans fell thru), Paul and Lindsey even gifted and delivered us a washer and dryer they had after Lindsey read on FB that I was at a laundromat! We've been lifted up in prayer daily, and I'm positive I left a lot out...but "WoW!", right?!?

The only thing that keeps us from calling this our home church is the calendar of events. Lala would need to be there Tuesday nights for Flashpoint; Isa would have AWANAs on Wednesday nights; Jin would have LGP, while Lala and I would attend the GriefShare meetings Thursday nights; there's often events on Friday's and Saturday's; morning service on Sunday's; and evening services every 2nd Sunday of the month! 70 miles x 2 = 140 miles round trip; 140 x 4 = 560; So, we're talkin bout a minimum of 560 miles, plus toll each week, homework having to be done on the road, lots of cranky-moody-hours spent in the car...and I don't even have a job yet!


4. I've been researching church's in the Sacramento area, and this morning we visited the first. First Baptist Church of Elk Grove. This is also the same church I attended GriefShare for the first time. The girls each loved their youth groups/service...I, on the other hand, won't be able to develop an accurate opinion until after the 1/23/11 service (assuming the sermon topic won't have anything to do with marriage). Go figure - GOD HAS AN AMAZING SENSE OF HUMOR!!! It was my first time back to service after all these weeks and the topic today was titled "Wake up. Walk in Love. The Portrait of a Wife." And of course next Sunday's sermon will be for the husbands! So, unless the following week's sermon is about Godly fathers, I should be able to soak in whatever the pastor preaches and have a better feel for the place. :)

This church is a little bigger than what we're used to at Valley Bible, and when it comes to the various ministries available and groups for the girls to get involved in, it reminds me of Valley Bible. That's a great thing! I plan on listening to some of the past sermons to get a better feel for what's being preached. Luckily, all the sermons are uploaded to the website.


I'll update you more on this subject later...but for now it's time for me to K.O.  I love you more babee!